Name: Instant Pot Beef Stew
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds beef stew meat; 3 teaspoons salt, divided; 2 teaspoons pepper, divided; 2 tablespoons canola oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 3 cups beef stock; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped; 3 medium carrots, chopped; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 2 fresh rosemary sprigs; 2 bay leaves; 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 tablespoons cold water; Minced fresh parsley, optional

When the cold weather hits, Instant Pot beef stew is your friend. It's a warming, comfort-food meal, and the pressure cooker not only makes it quicker but also extracts more flavor from the beef.

Ingredients

2 pounds beef stew meat

3 teaspoons salt, divided

2 teaspoons pepper, divided

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

Minced fresh parsley, optional

Instructions

1 Season and sear the beef

2 Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper over your stew beef. Select the saute setting on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker and adjust it for medium heat. Add the oil, and once the oil is hot, brown the beef in small batches until it’s well-seared. Set the seared beef aside.

3 Add the aromatics

4 Add the onion to the pressure cooker and cook it for three to four minutes or until it’s slightly soft. Add the garlic and tomato paste, and cook them for one minute longer. Add the paprika and thyme and the remaining salt and pepper. Cook and stir for one more minute or until the mixture is fragrant. Add the wine, stirring to loosen and dissolve the browned-on bits.

5 Load the pressure cooker

6 Return the beef to the pressure cooker. Stir in the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, carrots and celery. Press cancel to stop the saute function. Place the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves on top of the other ingredients.

7 Cook the stew

8 Lock the lid of your pressure cooker and close its pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 30 minutes. When the cooking cycle ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick-release any remaining pressure.

9 Thicken the stew

10 In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and cold water to make a smooth slurry, then stir it into the pressure cooker. Select your cooker’s saute setting and adjust it for low heat. Stir constantly until the stew thickens, approximately one to two minutes. If desired, garnish your stew with fresh parsley before serving.